Today we’d like to introduce you to Eliana Cardeno.
Eliana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a native of Colombia that moved to the United States with her parents at the age of 12. My educational and career backgrounds have shifted quite a bit throughout the years, with a Masters Degree in Microbiology and a professional background in nonprofit management, the road to becoming an entrepreneur has not been quite so direct and effortless.
I started my entrepreneurial journey during a trip to Costa Rica, where I had the opportunity to attend an entrepreneurial and women empowerment fellowship. Back during this time, around 2011, the concept of entrepreneurship was not well-known, but it was one that left me with a taste for it that would not go away anytime soon. Since then, I have been on a path to develop a business that could resonate and empower women in different ways.
Many years passed until I found myself living and working in South Korea, pursuing a full-time modeling career overseas. It was during this time when I first developed the concept for my business, Kiyomi Beauty. Having the opportunity to work with a number of beauty brands allowed me to learn more about Korean skincare and incorporate it into my lifestyle. It was then when I began to notice how innovative and varied these products were and the improvement they were making on my skin and overall appearance. It was during my last few months in Seoul that I began to think about how I was going to continue to incorporate these products into my daily routine without having easy access to them. Originally, it was just a personal concern, but as I continued to think about this, it became apparent to me that this could be a thought that many women, both in the US and globally could be having as well.
So, in 2018, I started to think of ways to provide women access to these products and the knowledge needed to properly use them. It was this thought that narrowed down my idea and led me to create an e-commerce platform and subscription box business that could connect women in the US to a variety of Korean products from both popular and emerging brands. However, I also wanted to create a brand that would empower women to pursue self-care, that would be inclusive and that could connect my heritage and personal experiences. For that reason, Kiyomi Beauty is a bilingual brand that focuses on providing both American and Latin-American women products that work for different skin types plus lifestyles and educational information that is bi-lingual.
I was really fascinated to have learned that Korean culture reminded me of a lot of my Latin American culture: family-wise, food-wise, and skin care-wise. From a very early age, skincare is a huge part of Korean women’s lives, and for Latin Americans it’s the same thing — from very early on your mom teaches you, ‘you have to put on a moisturizer, you have to wash your face before you go to bed, you have to make sure that you don’t get wrinkles early on.’ So, it was very close to what I had grown up with and I wanted these experiences and feelings to translate into all aspects of the business. Kiyomi, which means “cutie” in Korean, is the manifestation of my wish for women to embrace skincare as part of self-care.
Has it been a smooth road?
It certainly has not been a smooth road, but it has been so empowering and rewarding, that I would not have it any other way. Even from an early age, admitting to myself that what I had pursued academically was not the right path for me, was not an as easy endeavor. I had to let go of the fear of failing, of disappointing my parents and of the unknown in order to find the career path that would ultimately make me the happiest. Our careers make up so much of our lives, that I deeply believe that it is extremely important to find something that keeps you motivated and ultimately fulfilled.
In my path to launch a business, I also often struggled to find a business idea that could be both profitable and innovative. For me, an entrepreneur is a person that is often intrigued by the unknown and wants to solve a number of problems by posing an idea or a product, however, developing something that can actually be turned into a business is often extremely difficult.
Aside from finding the right resources and the capital to get your business idea off the ground, my biggest struggle came from an internal doubt. For me, it was the idea of perfection. I was so afraid of creating something that would not be well-liked by others or that was not “perfect” (under my standards, as we all have different standards of perfection) that I kept putting off launching my website and my products. I finally realized that people are often just happy to see something different and innovative. All you need is a platform where people can see what you have, buy the product, test it out, and then from there, you can continue to grow and adapt to both the positive and negative feedback, instead of bogging yourself down even before launching with minutia: Is it perfect? Are people going to like it? etc.
Ultimately, you will receive some negative feedback but overall, most people want to see you succeed and will try to offer a helping hand whenever possible. Looking back, I wish I told myself: Just do it, it will be fine! Also, allow yourself to go with the flow and have FUN in your business and through all of the highs and lows.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kiyomi Beauty – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’d like to think of myself as both an entrepreneur and a strategist. I love to develop concepts and work through the steps to turn an idea into a business. My brand, Kiyomi Beauty, is a Korean skincare e-commerce and subscription box business, which I launched earlier this year after having spent two years living and working in Seoul, S, Korea.
Kiyomi Beauty aims to help our customers navigate through the exciting, diverse and charming world of Korean Beauty by providing a wide range of beauty items geared towards different lifestyles and skin types, easy-to-use instructions and an affordable product that will help you create a new beauty regimen.
Over the past few years, Korean beauty products have grown tremendously within U.S stores, and consumers are starting to take notice. These new beauty trends are filling a gap in the American beauty market by bringing a wider and more diverse range of products. The Korean beauty industry prides itself in its multi-step skincare rituals, but if you’re new to the K-Beauty game, figuring out where to start can feel overwhelming and maintaining this regimen can come at a hefty price, especially for international consumers that must pay for both the product and its shipping cost. For all of that demand, and with the wide variety of products offered in Korea, there are only a few stores in the U.S. that carry these items, and an even smaller number of beauty monthly subscription boxes that provide these products to their buyers. We are convinced that there is a great market opportunity here to expand the number of Korean beauty products that American consumers are exposed to; allowing them to become more educated about skincare and see the benefit that these products and early prevention can have on their skin and overall health.
There are quarterly boxes that offer 5-7 full-size Korean skincare and beauty products and a monthly beauty pouch that includes 4 Korean face masks. Both options allow women to determine their skincare need and implement these new products into their routine without feeling overwhelmed – the curation of these products that can be used by women with different lifestyles and skin types conveniently connect women to S. Korean products that are effective, ethical and innovative and empower them throughout their skincare journey.
The Beauty Box and Beauty Pouch also both come with informational cards in English and Spanish, instructions, and links to educational posts and videos on Kiyomi’s website.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
I find that in our world today, one of the biggest challenges for women is letting go of our feelings of not belonging or being unworthy. Some of these feelings may be deep-rooted in our past experiences, backgrounds or even portrayals of media. However, understanding that everyone is capable and deserving of designing their own future is extremely important. Know that there will be doubts and fears, but that it is important to use these instead to help you forge a path that you can be proud of.
Also, find your tribe and support one another. There is nothing more exhilarating than supporting other women and helping those around you to fulfill their dreams.
Pricing:
- $39.99 – Kiyomi Beauty Box (Quarterly)
- $9.99 – Kiyomi Beauty Pouch (Monthly)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kiyomibeauty.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kiyomibeautybox
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiyomibeautybox
- Other: www.pinterest.com/kiyomibeautybox
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